Chapter 4 - Judgment
Jason stood as still as he could, hands clasped behind his back, chin up. He was not the only one. A line of them stood before the High Elevate, one Dayne Barrus, who sat on his throne at the top of a wide flight of stairs. He wasn't sure what else you'd call the massive chair containing the man. It looked to be sculpted of concrete, with ornate carvings worked into it, as well as no small amount of gold, red, and blue gilding throughout it's construction. Facing the line of men on the floor were Barrus' lackeys, or so Jason guessed, who stood eyeing the line of would-be Dedicateds.
The last three days had been a whirlwind. Jason was only now not feeling sick, having suffered dizzy spells, weakness, and shock. He was doing his best to keep his composure. The plan had gone awry. He was still coming to grips with what he had been forced to witness, and his sister being taken. None of that was supposed to happen. He was where he was supposed to be, though even that didn't seem to be going according to plan. He had thought he would be a dedicated for one of the Elevates as part of the arrangement, but right now that didn't seem to be the case. It seemed his contact had betrayed him, or at least had not been completely honest about the situation. The whole thing had a million risks as it was, so he assumed he should be thankful to be alive and not in a prison cell or dungeon. He guessed that's exactly where his mother and father were at the moment, if they were alive. He had no idea where his sister was, but the way events unfolded led him to believe she, too, was alive. You weren't supposed to be there, sis. It wasn't supposed to happen at that time. Fuck!
Since the raid on his home, Jason had been whisked away in chains, thrown on a bullet train, and then spent his first night in a cell with fifteen others who had been taken from the town. He was just beginning to think he had been backstabbed, and the sacrifice was all for naught, when a guard had opened the door, pulled him from the room, and taken him to another train full of two dozen people bound for Buffalo, New York, though he hadn't known that to be the destination at the time.
When he arrived, he was given a small room, comfortable all in all, and told he'd be summoned in a couple days. He had access to a fitness center, a cafeteria, and a common room with basic entertainment amenities. The first day he had spent in despair in his room, trying to keep the contents of his stomach contained. He relived the events, the horror, his mothers screams, his dads tears, and the rage he had seen in his father's eyes. The only thing that had kept him from panicking had been the memory of the last words his father had said as he was dragged from the house. "Edisne ah strap." The three words were of their private language they had created, and meant "Stay the course." It was a signal that despite the the way it had gone down, the plan was in motion. Jason knew the great sacrifices being made by everyone, but they weren't supposed to be as great as they had turned out to be. The raid was supposed to happen the next day, when Missti and his mother would have been out of town visiting family elsewhere. This is what had led Jason to believe he had been betrayed, something he still thought was the case.
Yet, he lived, and he stood now before a High Elevate. If ever he needed to get his shit together, now was the time. Too much had been lost, and too much suffered, for him to fail. He had been trained for this for most of his life. To give up was to waste all the time and effort put in by so many.
He and the rest of the men had been roused from their beds at 6:15 am sharp, and told they would be appearing before the High Elevate in twenty minutes to learn their fates. Jason had dressed in the dark blue one piece jumpsuit they had given them, groomed, and eaten quickly from the cafeteria. At 6:35 they were led to this chamber, where they had been given their instructions. They waited, motionless and still, for ten minutes before those addressing them had appeared.
"I am the Overseer." The man before him said, breaking his train of thought, and ending the silence in the room. "You will refer to me as such. Well, those of you that last long enough to get the chance." The man started pacing slowly, but the other man that stood just behind his right shoulder stayed where he was, eyeing them all with what Jason sensed was disdain. The man calling himself the Overseer was lean in build. He had short cropped dark red hair, and a goatee framed his pointy chin and narrow face. He just oozed sternness. He wore what looked to be a military style outfit, though a bit more casual. The clothes were predominantly blue, with dark red accents throughout. Jason guessed the sturdy boots the man wore had done their share of kicking.
"I'm sure you are all wondering what happens next." He said. "The good news is that you get to find out. The bad news is that a few hours from now there will only be a few of you left to move on to the next stage." The Overseer pivoted sharply on his foot, eyeing them each in turn. Jason thought he paused longer when looking at him, but he wasn't completely sure. The Overseer continued. "You are all vying for the chance to become one of High Elevate Barrus'..." the Overseer motioned to the man at the top of the stairs. "....personal Dedicated. Only one of you will. You have been summoned this morning for your first trial."
Jason risked a quick look at the man sitting way up high in his seat, watching the proceedings intently. He, too, wore dark blue and dark red clothes. Jason couldn't completely make out the ensemble in the brief time he had, but it appeared to be a long leather jacket over a collared shirt and leather boots that went half way up the man's shins. The Elevate was not relaxed, but leaning forward, hands clasped in his lap, eyes framed by a large bald head, rarely blinking . It was interesting that he seemed to care. Jason had thought that, perhaps, a man of his station would leave this type of work to his inferiors. He was paying attention though, despite not saying a word. He not only watched the line of individuals that Jason was part of, but also the two men that already served him. The High Elevate noticed Jason staring at him, and settled his gaze on him. Shit, Jason thought, quickly shifting his eyes back to the Overseer, way to draw attention!
The Overseer continued. "I'll keep this short. There are fifteen of you. Below us, somewhere between five to eight levels down, is a store room with three training blades. Though dulled, they'll be more than enough to dispatch each other with." The Overseer's face did not change. He did not seem to enjoy this, but didn't seem to take issue with it, either. He was a moving statue, as near as Jason could tell. "The first three to return back to this level move on to the next round. I recommend not returning here without one of those blades, as it will hurt your chances in round two." The Overseer stopped back at his original starting position, placing his hands behind his back, then continued. "This will just be the start for the three that make it. When I give the signal, the door to my right will open, leading to a passageway with multiple options to choose from. You are on your own at that point. The door will close behind you, and will not reopen until twelve hours have passed. You are to find your weapon, then survive until the door opens and let's you return to this chamber. Only the first three that return after the twelve hours have passed will move on. Anyone else that returns will still get a chance to serve, though in a much lesser capacity." As slaves, you mean. Jason thought. The term "Dedicated" was a sad attempt to hide the truth, but everyone saw through it. This was slavery, pure and simple. He knew that those who failed to make the next round would not live good lives, if they lived at all.
The sound of the electric doors behind him whirring open and shut forced a pause in the Overseer's speech. Sharp footsteps clacked on the floor behind them, getting louder as the figure approached the line of men. Jason dared not turn to see. They had been instructed to remain absolutely still, attention towards the room's front. Instructions that specific were usually not to be ignored in a place like this. The footsteps owner, however, came right up next to him, and before he had time to react a figure had pushed his, or her,, way next to him. Both Jason and the man to his right had to shuffle sideways a step. The smell of perfume tickled his senses, and the ample cleavage the woman possessed was hard to miss, even from the corner of his eye. It became harder to ignore her as she took a deep breath, then spoke.
"Father, I wish to compete in this trial." The woman's voice rang out, echoing in the large chamber. The Overseer turned to look up at the High Elevate, but the other man behind him kept his gaze locked on the newcomer, who was apparently the High Elevate's daughter. Jason caught the man's slightly amused smile, before he quickly masked it.
The High Elevate rose, his sigh audible even from where they were standing. As the High Elevate stood, Jason noticed the man possessed considerable bulk, though far from obese. He had size that implied strength. Unlike many Elites Jason had seen, this man did not look soft, and his clothes only enhanced that impression. "Daughter, enough of this foolishness. We've been over this a thousand times. Your place is up here with me, not in the trenches." The High Elevate motioned for her to join him.
"I want to be trained like you. I want to be a warrior, and earn my place, not have it given to me. I can do this and won't be denied this opportunity." Jason noted that while she was trying to sound firm and commanding, there was a tone of petulance in her voice.
The High Elevate's expression shifted to agitation. "This isn't up for debate Hannah. I can't risk my only true heir being hurt, killed, or captured. That risk will go to the Dedicated that earns the honor. Please come take your place by my side. I'd prefer you do this willingly as it might be quite embarassing to be dragged up here by the guards in front of all these men." The High Elevate sat back down, waiting. "Continue, Overseer."
Jason heard the woman puff under her breath, snorting in frustration. "Fool old man." He heard her mutter. As she stepped forward, he felt a hard slap on his ass, and she gave him a look that dared him to challenge her as she made her way towards the steps. He did his best not to stare, keeping his eyes forward. That was much easier than keeping his eyes from drifting to her backside as she walked the steps to her father, slowly. He thought for sure she was putting on a show for them, swaying her hips in an exaggerated fashion. He saw now she was wearing a dark red one piece leather body suit. It both hid all her skin, other than the cleavage he had seen from what must have been a lowered zipper, and left little to the imagination. He gulped. It was diffucult to tell due to the room's lighting, but he thought her hair, currently in a loose pony tail, was blue, or at least had dark blue tones.
"Eyes on me!" The Overseer bellowed. He had obviously noticed more than a few of the men's drifting gazes. "You'll have plenty of time to please your senses, if you emerge victorious." The Overseer began pacing again. He turned slightly, facing the man that had stayed still, standing at the Overseer's shoulder. "This is High Dedicated Gazzah. He has that which you seek. Someday, one of you may be fortunate enough to stand at his side, but from the looks of you that's unlikely. He has the High Elevate's complete trust, and he may well have tasks for you. The High Dedicated is the High Elevate's right hand, putting into action his master's will. You would do well to remember that." Jason examined the High Dedicated. The Overseer could say what he wanted, but Jason was certain this man was their true competition. Unless there was something else deep beyond his understanding going on, which he admitted was highly likely, the current High Dedicated would probably not welcome a newcomer rising to his level, whether now or later. Why was there an open competition for his spot, or was there need for a second one? While he didn't completely understand the nobility, he had spent enough time studying them to know they weren't generally a cooperative bunch.
The High Dedicated was a tall man, probably six feet four inches if Jason had to guess, with dark skin and a muscular build. He looked to be of Middle Eastern descent. He had dark brown, nearly black, eyes, and where the Overseer's facial hair was short and sharply trimmed, this man's was full, but well groomed. Despite his abundant facial hair, Jason could see a large golden nose ring. At the moment the man wore what looked to be a loose fitting tunic, in the signature Buffalo blue and dark red. The sturdy, leather boots that just came up short of the man's knees combined with the tunic almost hid the soft pants he wore. The ensemble was finished with a thick leather belt that encircled the High Dedicated's waist snugly. Jason did not fail to notice the sword hilt protruding over the man's right shoulder, nor the point of the scabbard just behind his left hip, dark red in color. It seemed the High Elevate, who owned the Buffalo Broads, didn't limit his colors to team uniforms. The color combination had been evident throughout the compound and its inhabitants since Jason had arrived.
There was no mistaking it now. The man was eyeing him intently, practically ignoring the others. He seemed to be weighing Jason, assessing him. It was not a comfortable feeling. The Overseer's voice cut into his thoughts. "You have fifteen minutes to prepare and get yourself ready. Use the latrine, eat and drink, possibly for the last time in your lives." The Overseer looked at the clock on the wall to his left. "The doors will open at exactly 7:15. Good luck."
The line of men quickly dispersed, eyeing each other warily. Jason stayed put for a moment, watching. Some of the shyer ones, obviously not there willingly, made their way to the edges of the room. A few of the bolder men gathered around the food table, silently eating and eyeing each other. Jason noticed a few groups of two or three men gathered and whispering quietly. It looked like there would be some working together, for certain. He glanced up to the top of the dais, looking boldly at the High Elevate, and even more brazenly at his daughter. She was eyeing him with a predatory expression. He smiled and made a deep bow, which drew raised eyebrows from all but High Dedicated Gazzah who showed no emotion. Jason spun sharply on his heel and headed to the food table.
He knew he had no chance to form any alliances. He'd just have to rely on wit, instinct, and training, and probably no small amount of luck. Maybe a lot of luck, based on the way one of the small group's men was sneering at him.